The Charlotte Hornets were able to narrowly defeat the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, in large part due to clutch baskets from LaMelo Ball. In his post-game conference, James Borrego explained how Ball proved he's a âwinner' against the Suns, via Rod Boone.
James Borrego on LaMelo coming through in the fourth quarter and his improved play in clutch time: "He's a winner. He makes winning plays. That's the best way I can put it."
â Rod Boone (@rodboone) February 25, 2021
With a little under four minutes remaining in the game, the Hornets and Suns were tied at 110 following a dunk by Devin Booker. The only reason Booker got an easy dunk in transition was due to a mistake by Ball on the defensive end.
However, Ball would make it up for it by taking the inbound pass and quickly locating Miles Bridges for an alley-oop to regain the lead. His ability to bounce back after a mishap on defense was an example of why Ball is proving to be a special player in his rookie season.
LaMelo Ball pushes the ball after a made basket and finds Miles Bridges for the oop #AirBnB #Hornets pic.twitter.com/XWzd4Ovm4h
â Ballin' Ain't a Hobby Podcast (@AintAHobby) February 25, 2021
Besides his inbound alley-oop, Ball would make another clutch play in the final stretch of the game. While the Hornets held a 115-110 lead with under three minutes remaining in the game, Ball would have possession of the ball at the top of the three-point line.
As the shot clock was winding down, Ball would get the switch he wanted, with DeAndre Ayton defending him on the outside. Ball would conduct a few rapid moves with the ball to get away from Ayton and get himself an easy dunk to extend Charlotte's lead.
SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE SHOW!
đđđ@MELOD1P | @hornets | #AllFly pic.twitter.com/88KnTMjgTR
â Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) February 25, 2021
To begin the season, Ball had his minutes limited due to Borrego wanting him to earn his playing time as a rookie. It's safe to say that Ball is showing exactly why he deserves to have a more prominent role moving forward.